Coward
by AlexaSinead
Summary: It has been months since Hinata confess to Naruto but he has been to coward to even face her, even if he has come to the conclusion that he loves her too and now everything is threatening to go away as Hinata slowly dies in his arms No deaths


**Hey guys... something I decided to randomly do. **

**I hope you all like it.**

**I don't own Naruto. **

**Coward**

He didn't expect it. Neither did she.

They expected to be awkward, quiet, slightly uncomfortable but never this.

It was simple mission, the hardest thing about the mission was being with each other. If they had exchange one or two words during the last couple of months it was a lot. All because he was scared of her words, of her confession. All because he couldn't figure out how he felt about her.

He had been a coward for months, making her think she was a fool for loving him, a fool for telling him and now it was all threatening to end. All because of a simple mission.

It was a sunny day when a Chunin, who he didn't recognized interrupted his daily training session. "Uzumaki-sama, the Hokage has requested you to come to the headquarters" He said with a slight bow.

He didn't ask question, he just made his way to the Hokage's office. He expected a mission but he didn't expect her to be there.

"Naruto, finally you are here" Tsunade said as soon as Naruto poked his head through the door. He's eyes quickly fell on her and at the same time their eyes winded, giving him the signal that she didn't know he was going to be there as well.

"What is it Baa-chan?" Naruto asked, as he stood beside Hinata, who did her best to not even glance at him.

"It's a mission, for the both of you" She said, getting comfortable in her chair. She opened a scroll that laid in front that was marked with a C.

"A C rank mission?" Naruto asked, slightly angry. He hadn't gotten a C ranked mission even before Sasuke left the village.

"Yes, although it's a simple mission I need both of your abilities for this mission" Tsunade explained. "Both of you have a great ability of tracking" she continue. "And while Naruto is great with his mouth, being as poetic as you are, Hinata has the political knowledge being the next leader of your clan"

"I'm not anymore" Hinata interrupted, leaving both blonde ninja's confuse.

"What?" Tsunade asked.

"Father decided that I am not fit to be the next leader and has pass the title to my sister" Hinata explained. Her face calmed and professional but Naruto noted the sadness in her eyes. "Being daughter of the present leader I will be named one of the council"

"I see" Tsunade said, deep in thoughts. "But you still have the political training?" She asked.

"Yes" Hinata nodded.

"Then its settle" Tsunade said, scribbling something on the open scroll. "The mission is to follow the one of the councilmen from the rain village and when you have gather some information, interrogate them. Discreetly of course, we don't want another war" She warned.

"Hai!" They both said.

"Then, be on your way" Tsunade said, dismissing them.

As soon as they walked outside they stood in silence, awkwardly looking for words. Naruto opened his mouth to apologies. He knew he had done wrong by ignoring her and he also knew it was the perfect time to do it.

"Hinata… I"

"We should meet up tomorrow morning" She said. Her back facing him, not allowing him to see her face. "It will be better if we start in the morning"

She was about to walk away when he grabbed her hand. "I need to tell you something Hinata" He said.

"There is nothing to say Naruto" She said.

"But there is…" Naruto swallowed. "I need to apologies"

"There is no need for that" She said with a sigh. She turned around to face him and smiled. "When I told you… that thing that day… I didn't expect to live, therefore I didn't expect for you to answer" She said. "I understand"

"So you are not mad at me?" He asked.

"Of course not" She chuckled. "I was sad that you thought that you needed to be avoided me to tell me you didn't feel the same way"

There it was, an opening, a chance to tell her that he might see her the same way but the window closed as quickly as it opened.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto… kun" She said, forcing the suffix to his name and then gone she was.

He cursed himself, for not saying anything. For being a coward and so defeated he went home.

Oh how he wish he would have gone after her that night and tell her but it seemed to be all too late.

They had managed to get the information they needed, they had been successful, they were on their way back home when they were ambush. Attacked out of the blue, they managed to defeat their attackers but they hadn't given up that easily. They didn't give up until at least one of them were injured or dead

He wasn't looking when it happened. He could only hear her attack and groan and then he heard her scream. He gave the man he was punching one last punch when he turned around. He watched her give her attacker one last stroke of her palm before he was in the ground unconscious. For a moment, he didn't understand why had she scream and then he notice. She was panting, trying so hard to catch her breath but it seemed that she couldn't. Her hand was clutched in her abdomen, it was then he saw it. He saw her lilac coat turning red.

"Hinata?" He called her name carefully. She looked up at him and he saw the fear in her eyes. Then she cough, blood spraying for her lips before her legs gave away. "Hinata!" He screamed as he ran towards her. He quickly knelt beside her and picked her upper body.

"I want you stay awake Hinata" He said, jumping slightly, jolting her eyes open.

"I'm sleepy Naruto-kun" She whispered as her eyes started to close once again.

"No!" He said, jumping once again. "You need to keep your eyes open for me ok?" He said caressing her hair. "I need you to do this for me"

"Ok Naruto-kun" She said softly. In a quick motion, he picked up a some sort of control. It was an emergency button, in which if pressed it would give a signal to the Hokage, back in Konoha and she could send a rescue team.

He remember giving some attitude to Tsunade when she first introduce the small machine to them. She explained that for centuries, ninja had died on their way back to the village and that sometime the messenger bird wasn't quick enough to get to Konoha, so she had this new way.

He didn't like it, he believed the old way was the correct way to do it but right now he thank god Tsunade made him take one.

"Don't worry Hinata, help is on the way!" He said, laying the piece of machine beside him as the soft beeping came from it.

"I don't think I can keep my promise Naruto-kun" She admitted suddenly. "I feel funny"

"Hinata, you have to fight it! Ok?" He said desperately. He took his jacket off and rolled it up, making a pillow for her head. "They are coming Hinata" He assured her but deep inside him, he knew they were slim chance of someone coming to rescue her before it was too late.

In a quick motion he opened her jacket to get a better view of her wound. It was worst than he expected. It was deep and long and it was then he began to panic. "Hinata" He said, now looking at her while proceeding to apply pressure on her wound.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I once heard that you love secrets" He said.

"I do" She said faintly.

"Well I have secret Hinata" He said. "I have a secret I've been wanting to tell you for a long time but you have to be awake till someone arrives so I can tell you this secret, ok?"

"Ok" She said, but her voice was in a whisper.

"Fox, please help me" He cried inside his head. Desperate for a solution but nothing happened.

It was then he began to sob. He wondered if he would've been hurting so much he if he would have told her? He wonder if she would have been here if he had? Or would he be with her, cuddling, kissing, being happy?

He would never know… because she was dying.

It was then he realized he was feeling somewhat dizzy as well. Confuse he looked around and that's when he saw it. A large cut on his arms. He hadn't notice because he had been to worry about Hinata, but now he was feeling the symptoms of blood loss and… poison?

He cursed under his breath, he couldn't faint, not now. Hinata needed him but it was already too late. He's hands and feet had already become numb.

"Hinata…" He managed to say before he dropped beside her. "…nata"

"NARUTO! HINATA" He heard someone scream from afar. With the last strength that he had he lifted his head and saw a blurry image. A pink blurry image and then he felt at peace. Sakura was here.

Two later Naruto awoke. His head ached and so did his throat and eyes. "Naruto, you're awake" Someone said startling him. Beside him stood Sakura in her doctors coat smiling down at him. He looked around and notice the clean white beds of the hospital of Konoha.

"You… you…" He managed to say before flinching.

"Don't talk. You've been out for two days… Drink water for your throat to moisturize" Sakura order handing him a yellow plastic cup filled with ice cold water. As soon as the cold liquid ran down his throat he felt better.

"Thank you" He said when he finished. "You saved us" He said after a moment of silence.

"Yes, you were lucky that me and Sai were also in the rain village picking up some medical supplies" She said. "You would have been ok, the venom that was in your body was pushed away itself… " She explained.

"Hinata!" He shouted, suddenly remembering the small pale girl, almost lifeless beside her. "Where is she?"

"She's in the next room but… Naruto" Sakura yelled as soon as Naruto jumped out of his bed and out of his room. He quickly entered the room beside his to find the girl in question sleeping.

"She's fine Naruto… let her sleep" Sakura said grabbing his arm. He snatched his arm away from her and entered the room. He sat on the chair that laid beside her and grabbed her hand.

"I'm not leaving her" He said. "Not again"

"Naruto… you are acting very strange" Sakura said, as she placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"You don't understand Sakura!" Naruto said, quickly removing her hand. "I've been a coward" He whispered caressing Hinata's pale hand.

"A coward? What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"Ever since Hinata told me her feelings I've been avoiding her. At first it was because I didn't know how I felt. I started to watch her and notice her and I realized that I might feel something for her but I was still afraid" He explained. "I could've told her but I never did"

"Naruto…" Sakura said softly. "That isn't like you"

"I know" he sigh. "But Hinata is different. I was so afraid that I would hurt her…"

"You won't" She assured her.

"We don't know that… I… shouldn't tell" He said and turned around to face Sakura. "Don't tell her"

"I think it's too late for that Naruto" She said, her lips showing a small smile as she nudge with her head towards Hinata.

Naruto turned his head once again and found Hinata's pale eyes looking into his. "Hinata…" He whispered.

"I'll leave you two alone" Sakura said closing the door behind her.

"I'm so sorry Hinata" Naruto said as hot tear ran down his cheek. He buried his face on the sheets, next to her hand when suddenly he felt her hand on his head. He snapped his head up to find Hinata smiling down at him.

"There is nothing to be sorry about" She smiled. "You saved my life, once again"

"But I…"

"You are not the only coward" Hinata said, her eyes now focus on the ceiling. "I've been in love with you ever since I can remember and I didn't bring myself to tell you until I thought I was going to die and even after that… I was still to coward to tell you that…" She looked down into Naruto's eyes once again. "I still love you Naruto"

Naruto blinked a couple of times but he wasn't waking up. "Could you say that again?" He pleaded.

"I love you Naruto" She repeated and he smiled.

"I love you too Hinata" Naruto said and leaned forward until their lips met in a sweet long waited kiss. "I love you so much Hinata"

In the other side of the door, Sakura and Ino were pressing their ears against Hinata's door, their eyes filled with tear that were threatening to fall.

"Troublesome… what are you girls doing?" A male voice asked startling them slightly.

Before them stood all of the boys from their year. "Naruto and Hinata are finally together!" Ino announced happily.

"Finally!" "That dope really did it" "Good for them"

On the inside Naruto and Hinata looked at each other blushing. "I guess we don't have to tell people anymore" Hinata said before they both burst into laughter and kissed again.


End file.
